Seeing the seriousness in Second Master's tone, Hu Ma immediately perked up to listen.
Second Master whispered, "This shabby village of mine may not seem like much to people, but even evil spirits don't dare to enter casually. Why do you think Little Hong Tang only dares to bring you food when I'm not around?"
"The fire energy here is too strong. Evil spirits can't even get close, let alone enter."
"I chose to live outside the village and teach my disciples here because our fire energy is too intense, and I was afraid it might disturb the ancestors..."
Hu Ma was slightly startled, "Does that mean the evil spirit that came is very powerful?"
Little Hong Tang usually doesn't dare to enter the village and only sneaks in when Second Master is away.
But she's just a bit hesitant; she can still muster the courage to come in.
Perhaps the White-Faced Mountain Demon is the same?
"It's not that simple."
Second Master waved his hand, "The term 'evil spirit' is just a general term. There are several categories: wandering ghosts, evil spirits, malevolent creatures, and fierce demons..."
"The ones that usually disturb the villagers are wandering ghosts—those restless spirits of the unjustly dead. They act on instinct and flee at the sight of our village."
"The White-Faced Mountain Demon, on the other hand, is a true evil spirit, and a powerful one at that."
"But even that thing, given the current state of your furnace, should fear you. At the very least, it wouldn't want to provoke you."
"The problem is, this creature has gained intelligence. It knows to avoid danger. It knows your furnace is strong and that I'm in the village. So why did it specifically lure someone here to harm you?"
Hu Ma vaguely understood something and felt a chill in his heart, "Second Master, are you saying..."
"Exactly."
Second Master nodded, lowering his voice, "This goes against its nature. I suspect something is driving it."
"Tomorrow, you need to tell Granny about this. I'm worried it might be related to the family that harmed you."
"The family that harmed me?"
Hu Ma felt a shiver run down his spine, recalling the tragic state of his previous body.
Even with such a powerful granny, he was still killed, giving him the chance to be reborn.
He suddenly looked up and asked in a low voice, "Second Master, do you know who that family is? How did I end up like this?"
Second Master shook his head, the wrinkles on his forehead deepening as he whispered, "I asked Granny, but she never told me..."
"All I know is that it must be a grudge your Hu family incurred outside. Considering how long your family has been in Da Yang Village, this must have happened over twenty years ago. But that family was ruthless. Even after your family was reduced to just the elderly and children, they still didn't let go."
"They were determined to wipe out your Hu family..."
As he spoke, a hint of anger crept into Second Master's voice.
He paused, calming himself before continuing, "As for what happened to you, it was about a month and a half ago. I remember there was a strange wind that blew all night, and then we heard you had gone missing."
"Granny was out helping the villagers with some spiritual matters and wasn't in the village. The villagers didn't dare to go out at night, so it wasn't until Granny returned the next day that everyone started searching. I also heard about it the next day and joined the search."
"We searched the forest for two days but found no trace. We were so anxious that we went to pay respects to the ancestors, but they didn't respond, as if they had lost their power."
"Later, no one knew what happened, but it seemed Granny used some method to find you with a few others. On the third day, she personally carried you back..."
At this point, Second Master's expression turned somewhat strange.
Hu Ma cautiously asked, "What is it?"
Second Master shook his head, "Nothing."
He vaguely remembered that everyone in the village thought Hu Ma was beyond saving.
Some who had found Hu Ma even swore that he was already dead, his appearance horrifying.
But Granny insisted he wasn't dead and brought him back to the village.
Who could have imagined that Hu Ma would actually come back to life? It just goes to show how powerful Granny is.
Second Master felt a bit uneasy recalling this, but since it was too horrifying, he decided not to tell the current Hu Ma.
He continued, "At first, everyone thought you had been lured away by an evil spirit in the forest. Granny didn't explain much to others, but she privately told me that no ordinary evil spirit could enter the village to abduct someone without the ancestral fire reacting. She believed it was the Hu family's enemies who had come."
"She first brought you back to the village, then left again. That night, the entire village was restless. We kept hearing ghostly wails from the forest, and the wind howled through the trees all night."
"That night, not a single chicken, pig, or dog in the village dared to make a sound."
"No one dared to light a lamp because the light turned green, casting an eerie and terrifying glow."
"But eventually, Granny returned, though she looked exhausted and had to rest in bed for a day."
Second Master tapped his pipe and paused before slowly saying, "After that, Granny spent several days truly bringing you back to life. Everyone else thought everything was fine."
"Only recently did Granny come to me privately and tell me that the thing that harmed you was only injured and is still out there. She went through so much to save you, and once that thing realizes you're alive, it will definitely come back to harm you..."
"To put it bluntly, Granny sent you to me not just to learn my skills but also to have me protect you. Only if I protect you can she have the time to go into the forest and deal with that thing."
"Now I'm worried that this White-Faced Mountain Demon is targeting you, and it might be related to that thing."
Hu Ma listened to Second Master's words in silence.
Suddenly, he turned to look out the window and saw a crescent moon slowly disappearing behind dark clouds.
The surroundings were pitch black, creating a heavy sense of oppression.
In this vast, seemingly endless forest, there was a ghost watching, waiting to take his life...
Little Hong Tang said Granny was looking for something in the forest.
Was she looking for it?
But logically, Granny should have the upper hand.
If that were the case, how could the enemy still have the means to send the White-Faced Mountain Demon to harm him?
Could it be...
Hu Ma felt a chill run down his spine: Could it be that Granny isn't actually winning?
Once this thought arose, he felt even more terrified and didn't dare to think further.
Granny's abilities were indeed formidable, as he had personally experienced.
But after all, Granny was getting old.
She looked to be in her seventies or eighties, her back already bent with age.
And this old woman had just gone through so much effort to "revive" him.
To help him ward off evil spirits, she chanted scriptures day and night without sleep.
She even found him those incredibly precious Blood Ganoderma to sustain his life...
Somehow, as Hu Ma thought about it, he felt a pang of sorrow.
What kind of determination must it take for an old woman to do so much?
In such a state, no matter how powerful she was, how long could she hold on?
Hu Ma's expression remained calm, but Second Master, being a straightforward man, could sense the subtle changes in Hu Ma's emotions, especially the clear wave of emotion at that moment.
He felt somewhat comforted:
"Back in the village, everyone said Little Hu Ma was an ungrateful brat. He grew up relying on Granny's care but never showed any gratitude. It was hard to feel sorry for him."
"But people do grow up..."
"Elders aren't afraid of children being immature. They always look forward to the day when the child matures. When that day comes, they can rest easy."
After a long silence, Hu Ma finally looked up and said seriously to Second Master, "Second Master, I want to go into the forest to help Granny."
"Just saying that shows Granny didn't waste her love on you."
Second Master also spoke seriously, "Your current abilities are indeed not weak, but don't rush into a decision."
"Granny is more powerful than us. You should ask for her opinion first."
Hu Ma agreed and then returned to his side room to pack up.
But with so much on his mind, he couldn't sleep that night.
After the incident with the White-Faced Mountain Demon, the other disciples were also trembling with fear, staying silent.
The next morning, Second Master didn't let the disciples go out to train in the mountains, perhaps fearing they might encounter something.
Instead, they practiced their skills within the village.
Hu Ma, too, was preoccupied, waiting for Little Hong Tang to arrive.
However, by noon, Little Hong Tang still hadn't shown up.
Growing impatient, he went outside the village and suddenly saw a flash of red.
"Brother Hu Ma, why did you take so long to come out?"
Not far away, Little Hong Tang was holding a basket, pouting, "I've been calling you for a while..."
"Huh?"
Hu Ma was surprised, wondering why he hadn't heard her.
Turning around, he noticed a faint circle of ash around the village and suddenly understood.
After the incident with the mountain demon yesterday, Second Master, fearing further trouble, had spread ancestral ash around the village.
Unexpectedly, it not only blocked other evil spirits but also kept Little Hong Tang out.
He quickly walked over, took the basket, and said, "Go back early today and tell Granny something for me..."
He had planned to eat quickly so Little Hong Tang could return sooner, but when he opened the basket, he found it empty.
"No food..."
Little Hong Tang said blankly, "You ate all the food in the basket yesterday!"
Hu Ma was puzzled, "What about today's?"
"I don't know about today's..."
Little Hong Tang said pitifully, "I can't find Granny..."
(End of Chapter)